


Someone Knows

by theredarmada



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, LadyNoir - Freeform, adrienette - Freeform, ladrien
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-03
Updated: 2016-10-18
Packaged: 2018-08-12 20:33:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7948093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theredarmada/pseuds/theredarmada
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marinette receives a letter revealing that someone knows she's Ladybug.  But who are they, and will they keep her secret?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Letter

Marinette ran into the locker room, not bothering to go back to class after the latest akuma attack. It would end soon anyway, and Alya would bring her stuff to her. She slumped against the lockers and tried not to doze. She may have defeated the latest villain, but her battle with exhaustion still waged on. She feared this was a war she could not win. 

The last attack had occurred just the night before. She'd stayed up late with Chat Noir, chasing Hawkmoth's latest victim across the city before finally capturing the akuma. She hardly slept a wink before having to wake up and get ready for school, where she met another villain just hours later. 

So here she was, prying open her eyes and her locker and hoping beyond hope that Hawkmoth had depleted his power and she would finally get to rest. But as the door opened, something floated softly down and landed on her foot. 

Intrigued despite her exhaustion, she picked up the object. It appeared to be a piece of red paper, neatly folded into an origami star. One short phrase, _“open in private,”_ was written in pencil on one of the arms of the star, accompanied by an arrow pointing in toward the center. 

Marinette glanced over her shoulders, taking stock of the empty room. Class was either still in session or it had just ended, she'd be able to tell if she hadn't left her phone in her backpack. Either way, she was alone for at least a moment. 

Marinette unfolded the paper. 

Inside, written in careful penmanship, was a short message: 

_“Ladybug,  
Don't worry, your secret is safe with me.”_

Marinette's eyes widened. Somehow, someone knew she was Ladybug. Suddenly, her senses were on high alert as she looked for any indication of who this person might be. She studied the writing, which was too tidy to be natural. _Whoever wrote this must have been trying to conceal their real handwriting,_ she observed. The left edge of the page was fringed as if it had been ripped from a notebook. _A square notebook with red paper can't be too common, so that's a good place to start,_ she thought as she neatly refolded the paper into its star shape. 

“Hey girl, there you are!” 

Marinette spun around at the sound of Alya's voice, hiding the paper behind her back. 

“Hi, Alya!” Marinette replied awkwardly, sliding the note into her back pocket. 

“You alright, girl?” Alya asked. 

“Yeah, I just had to...” 

“Go to the bathroom?” Alya finished, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“Yes?” Marinette said, unsure of what her excuse had actually been when she left class. 

Alya shook her head. “You said you had to come here because you forgot your book.” 

_Oh!_

Marinette reached into her locker and grabbed her history book. “And it's right here,” she said triumphantly, “mission accomplished.” 

“There's no point now,” Alya said in an irritated tone, “Class is probably over already. Mme. Bustier let me out early so I could come find you, but there wasn't time to come back.” She held Marinette's backpack out to her. “Wanna go get lunch?” 

“I would, but I'm really tired. I just want to go home and rest for a bit,” Marinette declined, taking the bag. _Plus, I have to figure out who wrote me that note._

“Okay, whatever,” Alya said before turning on her heel and leaving the locker room without another word. 

_She knows there's something I'm not telling her,_ Marinette thought guiltily as her mind wandered back to the paper in her back pocket. 

* * * 

Marinette resisted the urge to reach into her pocket the entire way home. She greeted her parents quickly and ran up to her room, wishing she could have transformed to get home faster. But apparently she hadn't been as careful as she'd thought: on her awkward sprint home it really began to sink in that someone aside from her, Tikki, and Master Fu knew she was Ladybug.

She slammed the door behind her and let Tikki out of her bag. 

“Marinette!” the kwami exclaimed, rubbing her head, “could you be a little more careful?” 

“Sorry Tikki, I had to get here as fast as I could,” Marinette apologized, “look at this.” 

Marinette carefully unfolded the note and laid it out on her desk, careful not to disrupt the creases. Tikki read over it carefully. 

After a moment, she looked up. “How did this happen? Who gave this to you? Does anyone else know?” 

Looking bewildered, Marinette shrugged. “I don't know, it was in my locker. But whoever wrote it said my secret was safe. So that's a good thing, right?” 

“Or it's a threat,” Tikki suggested. 

“A threat for what? They didn't ask me for anything.” 

“They might,” Tikki warned. “Be on the lookout. We have to find out who this person is and make sure they're actually sworn to secrecy.” 

“Is there any way we can convince them I'm not Ladybug?” 

“Can you be in two places at once?” 

Marinette sighed. “I see your point.” 

* * * 

When Marinette returned to school that afternoon, the only thing on her mind was figuring out who left her the note. The note itself was now hidden in a secret compartment in the lining of her backpack, which she had spent the remainder of her lunch break developing. The compartment would be undetectable to anyone who wasn't looking for it, but the knowledge of the letter's presence still burned in the back of her mind. 

She pushed open the classroom door, ready to find the person who sent the note. 

“Ladybug is the _worst!_ ” Lila shouted. 

“How _dare_ you! Ladybug is the _best!_ ” Chloe shouted back. 

Yet another argument between Chloe and Lila was brewing in the science classroom. The two girls stood nose-to-nose, glaring at each other, each willing the other to relent on the same topic they argued about daily. Marinette rolled her eyes and silently begged them to stop. 

“You agree with me, don't you Marinette?” Lila said as she spotted Marinette in the doorway. 

Marinette was smarter when she had met Lila in her civilian form. Though the two couldn't exactly be considered “bffs,” they were friendly. It burned Marinette inside to be friends with the liar who had tried to take Adrien from her, but she had disappointed Adrien so much when she had told Lila off as Ladybug. She couldn't stand to disappoint him as Marinette too. 

So when she met Lila again she was friendly but reserved as she didn't want to spend too much time with her. Unfortunately, Lila had taken her reservation as a nice change of pace from the usual way people fawned over her, and grew to like Marinette immensely. It was almost as annoying as Chloe's love for Ladybug. Almost. 

But the fact that Lila still liked her and hated Ladybug ruled her out. There was no way she could have sent that note.

“I'd rather stay out of this,” Marinette replied, putting her hands up defensively. 

“That's because even _she_ knows that Ladybug is the best and you're just _jealous,_ Lila!” Chloe crossed her arms over her chest and stuck her nose in the air. 

Marinette inched her way to her seat and greeted Alya with a weary smile and a shrug. 

“You can't use Marinette against me, you hate her,” Lila retorted. 

“I'd even prefer _her_ to anyone who hates Ladybug,” Chloe said coldly, not looking in Lila's direction. 

Marinette froze. Chloe didn't exactly give her glowing praise, but it was the best compliment she had ever received from her. A _preference_ to someone, _anyone_ would be enough to give her pause. But on a topic specifically relating to Ladybug? Was it possible that Chloe was the one who sent the note? 

The more Marinette thought about it, it made sense. Chloe _loved_ Ladybug. She idolized her, and with good reason: Ladybug had saved Chloe's life on more than one occasion. Marinette hadn't ever considered how Chloe would react to knowing she was Ladybug because there was supposed to be no way she would ever know. But now someone knew. Was it possible that Chloe's love for Ladybug outweighed her hatred for Marinette? If so, it made sense. Chloe would want her favorite hero to know that her secret was safe while not raising suspicion by acting any nicer to Marinette in civilian form. It was just a theory, but it was a good place to start. 

But how would she find out? 

“That girl's the worst, right?” Alya's voice broke into Marinette's thoughts. Obviously, Alya and Lila's short friendship had ended abruptly when Lila let the whole school know how much she detested Ladybug. Alya had torn Lila's video down from the Ladyblog and refused to have anything more to do with the new girl. 

Marinette shrugged. 

“Ugh, _how_ can you be so calm? She hates _Ladybug._ Who the heck hates _Ladybug!?_ I can't believe you of all people can get along with her.” 

_Me 'of all people'? Why?_ Marinette wondered, but was too afraid of the answer to bring the question to her lips. Sometimes Alya got too close to finding out her true identity. She had already guessed it a couple times. Marinette had been able to deflect her inquiries thus far, but what if Alya had finally found the definitive proof she was looking for? What if she was the one who sent the note?

Instead of dwelling on that idea, she focused her attention on Adrien, who slumped in his usual seat in front of her, looking about as exhausted as Marinette felt. His head was turned pointedly away from Chloe and Lila's argument, one hand hidden in his book bag. Like Alya, he had stopped associating with Lila after she publicly declared her hatred for Ladybug. Unlike Alya, he was still polite to her. But nonetheless, Marinette was happy to see that Adrien preferred Ladybug to Lila. 

“Settle down, girls!” Ms. Mendeleiev interrupted the screaming match. “Class is about to begin. Everyone, take out your notebooks and pay attention. Today's lecture is very important.” 

Chloe and Lila returned to their seats, occasionally casting venomous glances back and forth when the teacher wasn't looking. 

Marinette tried to keep her mind on the lecture, but was failing miserably. With all this Ladybug talk in the classroom and the note in her backpack, her thoughts were louder than the voice of her teacher. 

Alya and Chloe were strong leads, but in actuality it could be anyone in school. Or at least anyone who knew where her locker was, so anyone in her class and maybe a few others. Nearly everyone in Paris (with the notable exceptions of Lila and Hawkmoth) loved Ladybug. So how would she know? 

Marinette looked around the room. She could see a reason for every kid in there to send that note. Nino, Nathan, Alix, Mylene... sifting through each one would take a while. It was probably best for her to stick to her primary suspects until she could prove that they didn't send the note. Somehow. 

Wait. 

Marinette did a double take. 

Her eyes wandered to her right, careful not to be too obvious. 

At the desk across from hers sat Mylene, who was taking notes in the green section of a notebook with a few sections of different colored pages. There was green, blue, yellow, orange... and red. 

Marinette's heart stopped.

Could it be possible that her search was over and done so quickly?

And that the culprit was... Mylene? 

“Marinette, are you lost?” A whisper floated across the aisle to her. 

Marinette looked up from Mylene's paper to Mylene's face. Mylene looked concerned, her eyes glanced over to Marinette's empty desk. Marinette didn't know what to say. 

“Do you need to borrow my notes?” Mylene asked. 

“No, that's alright,” Marinette whispered. Her eyes went wide as she wondered why she said that. “Actually, yes,” she amended awkwardly, “can I see them after class?” 

Mylene nodded. 

Good, this would give Marinette an opportunity to see this notebook in person. 

“I hope your conversation is just as riveting as my lecture, Marinette and Mylene,” Ms. Mendeleiev directed her stern voice at the two of them, “though I doubt anything you're saying will be on Friday's exam.” 

Marinette blushed and returned her gaze to the front of the classroom. 

* * * 

“Thanks, Mylene, I really appreciate this,” Marinette said when she met Mylene after class. 

“No problem, Marinette, I'm happy to help,” Mylene replied graciously. 

Marinette took the notebook from Mylene's hands and eagerly flipped through to the red pages. It was the same paper; that she could tell immediately: the same size and texture, the same space between the lines, the same square pages. The note definitely came from a notebook like this, but she had to be sure it was this one. With any luck, this would be an open and shut case. But Mylene was still giving no indication that she knew Marinette was Ladybug. 

During the rest of class she'd thought about what signs to look for. She'd search in the spiral part of the notebook for any loose bits of red paper and feel the pages for any impressions. The note had been written in a heavy hand, so if it was written while still inside the notebook a copy would be pressed into the next page. Hopefully. 

“Uh, Marinette?” 

Marinette looked up guiltily, meeting Mylene's eyes.

“The science notes are on green paper.” 

“Oh, thanks,” Marinette said, flipping to the green section but leaving a thumb in the red section so she could easily flip back. She stepped back, trying to think of an excuse to get away from Mylene and still hold onto the notebook. 

Mylene took a step forward, closing the extra distance Marinette had just created between them. “Also, could you get it back to me today? I don't mean to be picky, but someone stole it yesterday and I wasn't able to study for the literature test this morning.” 

Marinette's eyebrows raised. “Someone stole your notebook?” she asked. 

Mylene nodded. “I guess. I looked in my backpack when I got home from school yesterday evening and it wasn't there. But when I got into class this morning, it was on my desk.” 

“Isn't it possible that you just left it there overnight?” 

“I thought so at first,” Mylene said, “but then I remembered that I found it in a different classroom than where I last used it.” 

There went Marinette's only real lead. She could conclude that the paper had most likely been taken from Mylene's notebook, but unless Mylene was lying the sender could still be anyone in class. 

“Thanks Mylene,” Marinette said, closing the notebook and handing it back. “You've been a great help.” 

She ran down the street toward home, barely hearing Mylene's distant shout of, “didn't you need my notes?” far behind her.


	2. The Conundrum

All night, Marinette agonized over how she'd ever find out who knew she was Ladybug. 

After she'd reached a dead end with Mylene's notebook, she decided to refocus on her two primary suspects: Alya and Chloe. 

But how on Earth was she supposed to find out which one sent the note, if either did, without letting on to another person that she was Ladybug? 

Honestly, she was afraid. 

Because somehow along the way, she'd messed up. She didn't even know what she'd done wrong.

She had to be more careful from this point forward, which is why she hadn't told Chat Noir when they met up that evening to fight yet another one of Hawkmoth's akumatized victims. She hated keeping this from her partner, but apparently she couldn't be too careful. 

So she kept silent. She lied awake in bed all night thinking about what this all meant. And she came up with nothing. 

Endlessly exhausted, Marinette trudged off to school. 

* * * 

When Marinette arrived at school, she was surprised to find Adrien speaking with Alya in hushed voices in front of the steps. 

“So you have no clue at all?” Adrien whispered. 

Alya chuckled. “Please, if I knew who either of them were, everyone would know. It'd be plastered all over the Ladyblog in no time. Not that I don't have _some_ ideas, but nothing concrete.” 

“If you knew who who were?” Marinette asked innocently, coming up between them. 

Adrien jumped at Marinette's sudden arrival, but didn't say anything. 

“Ladybug and Chat Noir, of course,” Alya explained. 

Marinette nodded, trying to look unconcerned. “And you'd really post their true identities on your blog?” she asked. 

Alya nodded. “Without a doubt. The world deserves to know the identities of the two greatest super heroes in Paris! And Ladybug and Chat Noir deserve to be appreciated for all the work they do.” 

“What if they asked you not to?” Adrien asked. 

“Why?” Alya raised an eyebrow at him. “Do you have something to confess?” 

Adrien put his hands out in front of him defensively and took a step back. “Don't be ridiculous,” he laughed oddly, “It's just... I don't know, Ladybug's pretty cute, I guess. I wouldn't mind knowing who she is.” He shrugged his shoulders up to his ears, looking more awkward than Marinette had ever seen him. 

Marinette's face flushed violently. _Adrien thinks I'm cute!_ she squealed internally. She'd jump for joy if she wasn't in front of people. 

Alya, however, looked royally pissed off. “Well too bad, Romeo. Ladybug belongs with Chat Noir. And when I find out who they are, I'm finally going to get real answers from Ladybug about their relationship.” 

“They're not together,” Marinette piped up a little too quickly. 

Alya put her hand on her chin thoughtfully. “That's what Ladybug said in an interview, but I'm not buying it. How can two people spend all that time together and be the greatest duo in Paris and _not_ fall in love?” 

“Maybe they're seeing other people,” Marinette suggested, hoping to throw Adrien and Alya off her scent.

“Then I feel bad for those people,” Alya said. “It's not going to last, and neither would _you,_ Adrien.” She poked Adrien in the chest for emphasis. “Ladybug and Chat Noir are meant to be, no teen model can change that.” 

Adrien pursed his lips and said nothing. Maybe it was sleep deprivation, but Marinette felt exasperated with him for probably the first time ever. She couldn't stop herself from speaking up.

“Just because they're partners in battle doesn't mean they think of each other romantically,” she said, a little too forcefully. “What makes you think they even know anything about each other in real life?” 

“What, you really expect me to believe that Ladybug and Chat Noir don't know each others' identities?” Alya scoffed. 

“Have you ever seen them leave a battle together?” Marinette asked, folding her arms triumphantly over her chest. 

“Have _you_ ever seen them battle at all?” Alya shot back, placing her hands on her hips. 

“Uh-of course I have,” Marinette stammered. “And I happen to know they always leave separately. Therefore, they _don't_ know each other.” 

“What if they know each other in real life, but don't know it yet?” Adrien, who had been silent for a while, suggested timidly. 

“Like star crossed lovers!” Alya clasped her hands together and rested her cheek against them. “In love by night, oblivious by day, endlessly searching for what's right in front of them. How romantic!” 

Marinette rolled her eyes. “Yeah right, like in a city of over two million people they just _happen_ to exist right under each others' noses without even realizing it? You don't think either of them are smarter than that?” 

“You can't see what you're not looking for,” Alya replied, lightly tapping Marinette on the nose. 

Marinette nudged Alya with her shoulder. “You take this too seriously,” she said, forcing lightheartedness into her own voice. “I mean, it's not like we'll really ever know, right?” 

“Whatever you say,” Alya shrugged. “Later.” She strode away as the bell rang, leaving Adrien and Marinette behind. 

“So... Ladybug, huh?” Marinette asked Adrien once they were alone, trying not to look too happy or too hurt. Alya's absence brought Marinette back to the upsetting reality that if Adrien had a crush on Ladybug, clearly he couldn't have feelings for Marinette. 

Adrien scratched the back of his neck and his cheeks flushed. 

“I get it,” Marinette went on when Adrien didn't speak. “Hero of Paris, looks great in red, blah blah blah. Everyone loves Ladybug and Chat Noir.” She paused, taking a breath. “But do you really even know her?” 

Adrien's face took on an even darker shade of red. “It's not like that,” he mumbled. “Ladybug and I know each other. We... well, you wouldn't understand. It's time to go to class.” He walked off toward the classroom and Marinette ran to catch up. 

“Then make me understand.” She didn't know why she said it.

Adrien's expression darkened and he turned away from her. “Talking about this was a bad idea. It doesn't matter how Ladybug and I know each other or why I feel the way I do. I just do.” He walked off a little faster and Marinette didn't bother trying to catch up again. 

Thinking back to Adrien's conversation with Alya, it made sense that they'd be talking about her true identity. Clearly, he wanted to know who Ladybug was too. Marinette would have to be careful around the two of them, and prevent them from co-conspiring if necessary. But at least this meant she hadn't found her mysterious pen pal yet. 

_Well that pretty much rules Alya out,_ Marinette thought as she followed behind Adrien to the classroom. She didn't doubt Alya's words when she said that she'd post her and Chat's true identities on the Ladyblog. Even though they were best friends, Alya's love for Ladybug superseded that. Marinette knew she meant well, but her knowing would bring disastrous results. 

And speaking of disastrous, Marinette was down to one final suspect: Chloe. 

* * * 

Marinette sat in class all day thinking about how she'd find out whether Chloe was the one who sent the note. 

Chloe was her last real suspect, so technically she didn't have to be so covert. If she could catch Chloe alone somehow, she could ask her what she knew about Ladybug's identity. If Chloe knew Marinette was Ladybug, she might say so. But if she didn't, she'd never suspect. Now all Marinette had to do was catch her alone. 

That was harder than she thought. 

When Chloe wasn't hovering around Adrien, her minion Sabrina stuck faithfully to her side like a conjoined twin. By the end of the school day, Marinette hadn't found a single moment to corner Chloe alone. 

Sadly, she made her way to Master Fu's to get some advice. 

* * * 

“What do you mean, someone knows you're Ladybug!?” He asked when Marinette finished explaining. 

Marinette looked up at Master Fu guiltily from where she sat cross legged on the floor of his studio. He looked disappointed. Wayzz shook his head from behind his master's back. 

She took a deep breath. “I was just--” 

“Silence,” Master Fu said, holding a hand up to stop her from continuing. “I need tea first.” 

After brewing his tea, Master Fu sat down in front of Marinette and took a sip from his cup. Marinette stared at it longingly. She needed some comfort right about now. 

“Oh I'm sorry, did you want some?” he asked. “The recipe is an old family secret.” 

“Yes, please,” Marinette said gratefully. 

“Well that's too bad,” Master Fu snapped. “ _I_ don't share _my_ secrets.” 

Looking dejected, Marinette slumped in her seat. “I'm sorry,” she apologized yet again. “I don't understand how this could have happened, especially now after I've been Ladybug for almost a year. Maybe at first it could have happened but I've been so careful since then. It makes no sense.” She put her face in her hands and in a muffled voice, said, “I was right; I'm not cut out to be Ladybug.” 

Something moved in front of her, and Marinette removed her hands to see Master Fu holding a fresh cup of tea out to her.

“I still don't know how you do that so fast,” she remarked, taking the tea.

Master Fu smiled serenely and sipped his tea. 

“Marinette,” he began, “I chose you and Chat Noir to hold these Miraculouses for a reason. You are Ladybug; Ladybug is you. There is no undoing what has already been done.” 

Marinette wasn't sure whether he was talking about someone finding out or about choosing her to be Ladybug. She wasn't sure she wanted to know. 

“You were right to seek out the person who sent you this note, and from your analysis this... Chloe seems like a tough case to crack. I believe I have an idea that may solve your problem.” 

Intrigued, Marinette's eyes flitted to his. “I'll do anything,” she said. 

“Are you sure about that?” 

* * * 

Marinette left Master Fu's not much later, feeling apprehensive about what she was about to do. It was late afternoon, and she needed to wait until dark to set his insane plan into motion. She figured she could go home and actually do homework for a little bit before-- 

Oomph! 

The wind was knocked out of her as she ran into something, or rather, someone. 

“Are you okay, Miss?” 

Marinette stepped back and looked up at the boy she had run into. 

“Oh, Marinette. I'm sorry,” Adrien said, his voice and demeanor were charming as ever, no trace of the disdain he had shown her briefly just hours earlier. “I didn't expect to see you here.” 

He gestured around the narrow street that Master Fu's studio resided on. It wasn't too far away from either of their homes or the school, but it was out of the way enough that one would have to be there with a purpose.

“Hi Adrien,” Marinette said serenely, so swept up by his sudden presence that she forgot to make an excuse for hers in this place. 

“So um...” Adrien cleared his throat. “I heard there's a pretty good cafe up this street. Have you heard anything about it?” 

Marinette snapped out of her Adrien-induced haze and looked back over her shoulder. Further down the street stood Master Fu's studio, but across the way was a little cafe with flowers hanging from the windowsills. 

“Yes I... was just there,” she lied awkwardly. “The food's really good, you should try it.” 

“Glad to hear it,” Adrien said, sounding oddly uninterested and maybe... a little guilty? “Any recommendations?”

“The um... soup du jour!” Marinette suggested awkwardly, hoping that the soup du jour was something normal. She rubbed her belly, saying, “mmm, so good.” 

“This time of year?” Adrien asked, the summer sun illuminating his golden locks as he tilted his head inquisitively.

For once, Marinette didn't want to spend another second around Adrien. She couldn't risk being caught in another lie, especially with him. “Yeah, just trust me. Okay bye,” she said quickly. She passed him and exited the narrow street before he could respond, and before she could see him cross the street and enter a building that was definitely not a cafe.


	3. The Fangirl

Ladybug took a deep breath. She was crouched in the shadows on a rooftop across the street from Le Grand Paris Hotel, her eyes and mind laser focused on the penthouse suite, where Chloe Bourgeois sat at her vanity. 

Chloe would be happy to see her. Or maybe she wouldn't. Now that she thought about it, Ladybug couldn't think of anyone who would be more disappointed by her true identity than Chloe. Her stomach was in knots thinking of all the different ways this could go, and how things would change when it was all over. 

Chloe was starting to look like a best case scenario. Whether she still liked Ladybug or not, Chloe would never want to admit that she idolized Marinette. And maybe Chloe would calm down on both her obsession with Ladybug and her hatred of Marinette. Maybe. Ladybug took another breath, trying to make herself believe that her secret would be safe with Chloe. 

Well, there was no point of waiting outside on a cold roof all night. _Might as well get this overwith,_ Ladybug thought reluctantly as she threw her yo-yo and swung across to Chloe's moonlit balcony. With a deep breath, she tapped gently on the windowed door to her classmate's bedroom.

“Ladybug!” Chloe greeted as she ran to the door and opened it, her face lit up like a kid's on Christmas morning. “Come in!” 

“Hi Chloe,” Ladybug greeted, a strained smile on her face as she entered the room. 

“Wow, Ladybug knows my name!” Chloe squealed. “What, what am I saying? Of course you know my name, I'm me! Isn't that great?” 

“Fantastic,” Ladybug muttered. 

“Sit anywhere, of course,” Chloe invited. “I'll call my butler to send us some hors d'oeuvres.” 

“Please, I'd rather not--” 

“It's about time you came to visit me, you know,” Chloe interrupted Ladybug. “I am your most prestigious fan, after all. Who could you _possibly_ want to spend time with besides _me?_ ” 

Ladybug shrugged, looking uncomfortable. She sat on the edge of a sofa cushion in Chloe's living area. 

“So, what have you been up to?” Chloe went on, taking a seat across from Ladybug. “Saving Paris with Chat Noir?” 

“Yeah,” Ladybug lied.

“Well, I don't blame you for dumping the cat and coming to see me. _I'm_ way more interesting than a loser in a catsuit.” 

“Hey! Chat Noir's--” 

“Oh relax, Ladybug, honestly,” Chloe said, waving a hand dismissively. “I just mean, as my best friend you're going to have to think carefully about the company you keep. So, get rid of Cat Boy and get... I don't know, someone like this.” 

Chloe pulled up an image on her phone and pushed it into Ladybug's face. On the screen was a shot of Adrien Agreste modeling his father's spring line. “This is Adrien,” Chloe introduced Ladybug to the image. “He's a super rich and famous model. He's mine, of course, but I'm sure he could introduce you to one of his almost-equally-hot model friends. We could go on double dates and go shopping together and have sleepovers and...” Chloe paused. 

“You know, this would be a lot easier if you told me who you really are.”

“No, it wouldn't,” Ladybug said, standing up. She had no reason to stay, it was more than evident that Chloe didn't send her the note. Now all she needed was a polite excuse to leave. 

“Well of course it would, silly,” Chloe went on, not noticing Ladybug's eagerness to leave. “It would look a little strange for _Ladybug_ to do all those things, but if you took _off_ the mask...” 

Thankfully, Chloe was cut off mid-sentence by the ringing doorbell. 

“That's probably our hors d'oeurvres,” Chloe said, perhaps unaware of the fact that she never called for them. “Wait right here.” 

She crossed to the door and opened it, the door blocking Ladybug's view of whoever was outside.

“Jaques, I have told you a hundred times... oh, hi Adrikins!”

“Hey Clo.” Adrien's soft voice floated in from the doorway. “I was hoping we could talk,” Adrien took a step forward into the room, and his eye's locked onto Ladybug's. With a gentle hand on Chloe's shoulder, he pushed her aside and walked up to Ladybug. 

“Hi,” Ladybug said, her eyes bright as Adrien approached her. It was only hours ago that they had run into each other in the street near Master Fu's, but it had been several weeks since she had seen Adrien as Ladybug. She couldn't deny that there was a different energy from Adrien when she was in this form, and after Adrien told her about his crush on Ladybug that morning, she knew why. 

“Hi Ladybug,” Adrien greeted, a light blush on his cheeks. “Remember me?” 

“How could I forget?” she replied softly, her every nerve shivering with anticipation. 

The pink shade of Adrien's face deepened as they sat down on the sofa, close enough so that their legs touched. They stared into each others' eyes for a long moment, no words needing to pass between them. 

“Wait, you two know each other?” Chloe's voice reminded them both that she was still in the room. 

“We...” Ladybug paused, trying to find the words. 

“Have met,” Adrien finished. “When my father was the target of one of Hawkmoth's akumatized victims. She and Chat Noir came to my house and kept everyone safe. It was... pretty amazing,” he finished with an awkward smile in Ladybug's direction. 

Ladybug blushed, thankful that her mask was on to cover it up. 

“Wow, that's awesome!” Chloe interrupted. “How cool is it that we both are fans of Ladybug?” 

“Pretty cool, I guess,” Adrien said with a disinterested tone before returning his attention to Ladybug. “Ladybug, can we talk?” 

“Hey! I thought you wanted to talk to _me!_ ” Chloe complained. 

“In a minute,” Adrien waved her off, then grabbed Ladybug by the hand and walked her several feet away from Chloe. 

“Ladybug, what are you doing here?” Adrien whispered when they were out of earshot. 

Ladybug shrugged, looking uncomfortable. “Just hanging out,” she replied innocently. “Chloe is one of my biggest fans, after all.” 

Adrien tilted his head to the side, clearly confused. “But you _hate_ Chloe,” he said. 

“Pssht, I totally do not--” Ladybug denied, then paused. With narrowed eyes, she asked, “wait, how can you know that?” 

Adrien avoided eye contact with Ladybug. “That's not important,” he said, bushing off her question. “What are you doing here, really?” 

Ladybug sighed. “Okay, I needed to know something,” she confessed. 

Adrien raised an eyebrow at her, clearly wanting more information.

“It doesn't matter,” Ladybug went on uncomfortably. “Chloe isn't... I've hit a dead end. I was just leaving.”

“So what, you're just going to bail on her?” Adrien asked angrily. “She really admires you; can't you just be nice to her for once?” 

“Couldn't she just be nice to _anyone_ for once?” Ladybug retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“She's never been anything but kind to you,” Adrien said coldly, the anger gone from his voice. 

“You don't know what she's been to me,” Ladybug replied, matching his coldness. 

Adrien put his hands on his hips, and his posture struck her as oddly familiar. “I know more than you think,” he said. 

“And I know all that I need to know,” Ladybug said somberly, then turned and walked away from Adrien.

She painted a smile back onto her face and walked over to Chloe, who was clearly trying to eavesdrop from her place on the sofa. Ladybug doubted she could actually hear anything. 

“Well I hope the two of you are about through,” Chloe said in a huffy tone. 

“We are,” Ladybug said gently. “Thank you for having me, Chloe.” 

“You're not leaving already?” Chloe asked, her voice filled with sorrow. 

“I have to go,” Ladybug said simply, forcing a note of reluctance into her voice. “I have all of Paris to watch over, and Chat Noir can't handle it all by himself. I hope you understand. Maybe we can hang out another time – if you don't ask about my identity, that is.”

Chloe's eyes were filled with both eagerness and respect as she nodded in agreement to this condition. 

Gingerly, Ladybug stuck a hand out to Chloe for a goodbye handshake. Chloe pulled her into a tight hug and didn't let go for an uncomfortably long time. 

When she was finally released, Ladybug sprinted toward the balcony door. 

“Thanks for coming!” Chloe shouted behind her. “Come back to visit soon!” 

Ladybug smiled and waved before throwing her yo-yo, not making any promises. 

Instead of going straight home, she swung back and rested on an awning above Chloe's still-open balcony door. It might have been petty, but she had to know why Adrien wanted to talk to Chloe so late at night. 

“Where'd she go?” Adrien's muffled voice made its way up to Ladybug's ears. 

“She said she had to go watch over Paris with Chat Noir,” Chloe replied in a dismissive tone. 

“She did?” Adrien asked, sounding confused. 

“Yeah,” Chloe sighed. “Why she'd want to spend time with _him_ when she could be with me and you I'll never know but – wait, _where_ are you _going?_ ” 

Adrien laughed awkwardly. “Well, it's getting late and you know how strict my father can be. Gotta run!” 

Ladybug giggled under her breath as she heard Chloe's bedroom door slam. Then she made a beeline for home, deciding she'd hit her limit for awkward run-ins for the day. 

“Good evening, my Lady.” 

So much for that. 

Ladybug was just one rooftop away from home when Chat caught up with her, which, Ladybug supposed, was better than if he had caught her just seconds later as she climbed down into her room and detransformed. 

“Chat!” She groaned, turning on her heel to face him. “Don't go around sneaking up on me like that!” 

“Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you,” he apologized, sounding gentler and more charming than he ever had before. “I thought we were supposed to patrol together tonight.” 

Furrowing her brows, Ladybug couldn't recall planning to meet up with Chat. Sure, she'd told Chloe that, but only to get away from her. But here he was, so maybe they were supposed to meet. 

She thought back to her last meeting with Chat. It had been yesterday evening, when they had defeated the latest akuma. She told Chat she'd be too tired to patrol that night but... 

She must have gotten so caught up with this whole letter thing that she'd completely forgotten about arranging to meet up with Chat Noir tonight. It was the only way this whole thing made sense. 

“I'm the one who should be sorry, kitty,” Ladybug apologized, stroking under Chat's chin. “I forgot.” 

“Then what are you doing out here?” Chat asked, taking a seat on a nearby chimney. He scooted over and patted the space beside him with an open palm. 

Ladybug sighed and sat down next to him on the ledge of the small chimney top. There wasn't a lot of room so they sat so that their thighs touched, and there was something about the warm and comforting energy radiating off of Chat Noir that struck Ladybug with the strangest sense of déjà vu.

“I was just visiting someone,” Ladybug said. 

“As Ladybug?” Chat asked innocently. 

Ladybug shrugged, looking uncomfortable. She wasn't sure whether she wanted to reveal to Chat that someone knew her identity. She didn't know whether this person knew about Chat too and she didn't want to make him fear a threat that might not exist. And since she'd hit a dead end, she didn't see a reason to say so. “I needed information that she wouldn't tell my true form,” she said simply. 

“And?” 

“Nothing. It was awkward and stressful and nothing came of it,” Ladybug sighed, resting her chin in her hand. 

“I know the feeling,” Chat chuckled but offered no explanation. Whatever he had done tonight, Ladybug doubted it was nearly as bad as arguing with his crush _and_ dealing with Chloe Bourgeois at the same time. 

Ladybug side-eyed Chat, but since he was so much taller than her he couldn't see her facial expressions from that angle. She wondered what he was stressed about, and if that source of stress was the same as hers. She wondered if they both had been sent letters from the same person, revealing the same knowledge. And for the first time, she wondered if this all meant that they knew each other in real life. 

She wasn't sure she minded. 

“Chat?” She asked, not attempting to make eye contact with him. 

“Yes, my Lady?” he replied. 

She wanted to ask him something that would let her know whether he received a note without revealing that she had. She wanted to be sure of something for once. But Ladybug was tired of using dishonest methods to gather information. If there was one thing she was truly sure about in all of this, it was that Chat Noir would never lie to her. She was sure she didn't want that to change. 

“Can we just... stay here for a while?” 

Chat's body went rigid for a moment, then relaxed. He put an arm around her shoulders and for once she didn't shrug it off. She let out a deep breath she didn't know she was holding and leaned against him. She could feel his heart thudding rapidly in his chest when she moved closer to avoid the night's chill. 

Looking up at the stars, she tried to appreciate this possible last moment of anonymity she had with her partner. Because she would discover who sent her that note. 

And if she'd learned anything over these past two days, it was that secrets are not meant to be kept forever.


	4. The Second Note

Back to the drawing board.

Again. 

Marinette groaned as she shuffled off to school, exhausted yet again. 

Physically exhausted because she had stayed out late with Chat Noir. 

Emotionally exhausted because not knowing who knew her identity and not having anyone she could safely confide in was really starting to take its toll. 

It wasn't Mylene, Alya, or even Chloe. 

With those three eliminated from the suspect pool, Marinette had no more genuine leads. All she knew was that the anonymous letter writer was probably in their class. She'd have to talk to everyone. 

But how many more students could she talk to before people started to suspect?

In history class, she had an idea. 

* * * 

“Alya, I'd like to join your search.” 

“Sorry girl, I don't know what you mean.” 

They were sitting on the steps in the school courtyard, far enough away from the other students that nobody around could hear. 

“Your search for Ladybug,” Marinette whispered under her breath. 

Alya looked surprised. “Since when do you care about Ladyb--” 

She paused, narrowing her eyes. 

“Wait. I know what this is about.” 

Marinette gulped. 

“You're want to find out who Adrien has a crush on!” Alya exclaimed. 

Marinette nodded along. “Yeah... that.” She looked up at Alya, whose hands were on her hips. She looked disappointed. “So, can I help?” 

“Okay, but you better take it seriously,” Alya warned her. 

Marinette nodded eagerly. “Since when don't I take anything related to _Adrien_ seriously?” 

“I mean it, girl,” Alya said sternly. “You need to understand that this is so much bigger than you and Adrien.” 

_You have no idea,_ Marinette thought to herself. 

“You got it. One hundred percent commitment,” Marinette assured her. “So, how should we divide up the class? I'll take the students who sit on the left side of the classroom and you can take the ones who sit on the right?” 

“Marinette...” Alya gave her a sharp look. 

“Fine, fine,” Marinette amended. “You can take the left side and I'll take the right.” 

“The class isn't going to help.” 

_Damn._

“Why not?” Marinette asked innocently. 

“Why do you think?” Alya “Almost everyone has been akumatized. It's not like any of _them_ can be Ladybug.” 

“But... that doesn't mean they don't know anything!” Marinette responded eagerly. “They've all been akumatized. That means they've all met Ladybug. Maybe they know something?” 

Alya rubbed her hand on her chin thoughtfully. “That's not actually a bad idea. You take the left side.” 

“But...” Marinette protested weakly. She looked wistfully over at Adrien, who was speaking with Nino across the courtyard. 

“Because,” Alya continued, “I can't trust you to gather any real information from _him._ ”

“Fine, I'll take the left side,” Marinette reluctantly agreed. “But what about Chloe? She's not going to talk to me.” 

“I'll trade you Chloe for Lila,” Alya offered. 

Lila sat at the back of the classroom, next to Nathan, which was technically Alya's side. Marinette didn't want to talk to Lila, but she knew that Alya couldn't bring herself to do it. She nodded reluctantly. 

The bell rang, and the two of them started walking to class. 

Marinette felt Tikki poke her from inside her jacket, an indication that she wanted to talk. 

“Uh, hang on a minute Alya,” Marinette stopped walking. 

“What is it?” Alya asked. 

“I have to go to the bathroom. Don't wait for me. I'll meet you in class.” 

“Oh... kay,” Alya shrugged and turned back around, continuing her trek to the classroom alone. 

Marinette ducked into the girls' room and checked under the stalls for feet. Seeing that the room was empty, she opened her jacket. “It's okay, Tikki,” she said. “You can come out.” 

Tikki flew right into Marinette's face. “Marinette, what were you thinking, joining Alya on the search for... for _you!?_ ” 

Marinette shrugged. “I figured it'd look suspicious if I suddenly started caring about Ladybug out of nowhere and began asking everyone about their knowledge of her. _Me._ Helping Alya with the Ladyblog is a good cover.” 

Tikki nodded, a silent acknowledgment that it wasn't a completely horrible idea. “And what if the person who knows sits on Alya's half of the room?”

“I plan to talk with Alya about each of our encounters. Maybe the person who knows about me will say something that isn't obvious to Alya but would make sense to me. If anyone says anything suspicious, I'll talk to them myself.”

“But what if they say something to Alya that makes it obvious to her that you're Ladybug?” Tikki asked. 

“I'm hoping that's not the case and that I can trust them to uphold their promise that my secret is safe. And maybe when they see what I'm trying to do, they'll come to me directly and confess,” Marinette said. 

“I highly doubt that,” Tikki said dryly. 

“I have to have faith that the person who sent it trusts me and understands that keeping my secret is what's best for Paris,” Marinette said with determined resolve. “If that's the case, they'll understand why I need to find out how I revealed my identity. ” 

“I hope you're right.” Tikki shook her head. “Come on, you have to get to class.” 

* * * 

“You're on! Right after school, in the park. If you're not there you forfeit!”

Alix was standing on a chair when Marinette entered the classroom, standing nose-to-nose with Kim. 

“And when I do show up, you'll lose!” Kim retorted, stepping closer to Alix so that their foreheads touched, setting her slightly off balance. She gripped his biceps for support and let go instantly, turning beet red. 

“Geez, just kiss already,” Alya mumbled so low that only Marinette could hear. 

Biting back a giggle, Marinette gestured toward them and gave Alya a questioning look. 

“Alix lost twenty euros to Kim in an arm wrestle, so they're going to challenge each other to feats of strength in the park across the street to see who is the strongest. Double or nothing. As usual, Max is going to judge,” Alya explained. 

Marinette scrunched her nose. “That's...” 

“Stupid,” Alya suggested. 

“I was going to say, 'interesting,'” Marinette said. “There's no way Alix would win against Kim, he's twice her size.” 

“I don't know,” Alya said, “Girl's got gusto. Maybe she'll win by pure force of will.” 

“Perhaps. In the meantime, it might be a good place for me to talk to all three of them about Ladybug. Since they're all on my half, of course,” Marinette suggested. 

“It might be worth a shot, if you can get them to calm down,” Alya chuckled. “By the way, I talked to Chloe while you were in the bathroom. She doesn't know anything.” 

“What?” Marinette asked, dumbfounded. “Why? How do _you_ know that?” 

“Chloe doesn't know anything because she still thinks that she and Ladybug are _'besties,_ ” Alya explained. “She even made up some lie about Ladybug coming over to her house last night, as if _I_ wouldn't know that Ladybug was in the very hotel where my mom works. There's no way Ladybug would have visited a person like _Chloe,_ and there's definitely no way Chloe wouldn't have taken a selfie with her if she did. Since Chloe is obviously still lying about knowing Ladybug, I can safely assume that she knows nothing.” 

Marinette nodded, listening to Alya's well thought out but incorrect analysis. Now that they were both on the same page with Chloe, she wouldn't have to come up with a fake reason why Chloe wouldn't know anything. She could focus on what she was going to say to the other students.

“For once,” Madame Bustier sighed as she entered the classroom and slammed her iced coffee down onto her desk, “I'd like to come in to find everyone sitting quietly in their seats.” 

Looking like a deer caught in headlights, Alix slowly stepped down from the chair. She and Kim had been arguing in that position for Alya and Marinette's entire conversation and it was clear that Madame Bustier was completely exasperated by all of the arguments in her classroom. Fearing her wrath, Alix and Kim returned to their seats. 

* * * 

“You ready to go, Kubdel!?” Kim sprang up from his seat at the end of class and turned to face Alix. 

“I was born ready!” Alix retorted, jumping up as well. 

“Race you to the park!” Kim shouted, running for the classroom door. Alix followed close behind. 

Madame Bustier groaned quietly and exited the classroom as the remaining students collected their belongings. There was a lot of talk about going to the park to see Alix and Kim in action.

“Are you going to the competition?” Marinette asked Alya as they headed out the classroom door.

“Of course,” Alya replied. “Everyone in the class is going, it'll be a great place to ask them about Ladybug.

Alya and Marinette walked behind the class to the park across the street. When they arrived, Max was already standing up on a park bench, explaining the first competition to the assembled group of high schoolers and curious onlookers. Kim won the race to the park, but Alix claimed he cheated because he got a head start, so the first competition was going to be a race around the perimeter of the park. 

“I'm going to talk to Nath,” Alya whispered into Marinette's ear. “Maybe you can start with Juleka and Rose?” 

“Good idea,” Marinette replied. Alya nodded and walked off to talk to Nathaniel. 

Marinette turned to find Juleka and Rose, who were laughing together at the edge of the group. They would be an easy start. Both were polite and sweet, both probably knew nothing about her identity. Just two suspects to knock off the list. 

“Hey, Marinette,” Lila's voice cut into her thoughts just as Lila herself cut into her path. 

“Hey Lila,” Marinette replied, trying to sound friendly. 

“So like, do these things happen a lot?” Lila asked, gesturing toward Alix and Kim as they ran past. 

“Yeah,” Marinette nodded. “they like to compete.” She tried to move past, but Lila stepped in her way again. 

“Where are you going? The competition is that way,” Lila said, nodding toward where the crowd stood behind Marinette.

“To talk with Juleka and Rose,” Marinette answered reluctantly. She really didn't want to tell Lila that it had to do with Ladybug. 

“Asking if they know anything about Ladybug?” Lila guessed. “I heard Alya talking to Chloe about her earlier.” 

Damn it. 

“Yeah, Alya needed help with the Ladyblog,” Marinette lied. Lila didn't need to know this investigation was her idea. 

“And here I thought you were one of the good ones, Marinette,” Lila said in a breathy tone, shaking her head. “But it turns out Ladybug has brainwashed you too.” 

Marinette put her hands out in front of her in a defensive gesture. “Like I said, I'm just helping Alya.” 

“Oh, sure.” Lila rolled her eyes, clearly not believing Marinette. “I guess everyone in this entire city is _sooo_ in love with Ladybug. Even you, and,” She sighed, casting her eyes dramatically over to the left, “even him.” 

Marinette followed Lila's line of sight to where Adrien sat on a park bench by himself. He'd glance up every now and then, but he clearly wasn't paying attention to the events in front of him. He was staring at something he had in his hands.

She squinted to get a better look just as Adrien lifted the red paper from his lap. Then, slowly and methodically, he began to fold the paper. Marinette didn't need to be any closer to him to know that he he was folding it into the shape of a star. The world spun around as she grappled with the truth she had plainly witnessed. _Adrien knows who I am, and that letter must be for Chat Noir,_ she thought. 

“It's just not fair,” Lila went on, oblivious with Marinette's preoccupation with Adrien, “I'll never have a chance with Adrien as long as he likes Ladybug. He won't even talk to me after that whole fiasco. I can't believe after the way she treated me, he's still in love with her.” 

_Wait, what?_

Right. 

Adrien told Marinette just the other day that he was in love with Ladybug. 

Adrien told her that he was in love with Ladybug _after_ she found the note. 

Did Adrien knowingly tell Marinette that he was in love with her? 

“Thanks for listening, Marinette,” Lila said, giving Marinette a tight hug. “I better go, it's clear that nobody wants me here.” 

“Bye,” Marinette said, her voice hollow. 

She stared at Adrien, mouth hanging open like a fish. Her legs locked in place and she found herself unable to move toward him. 

How could this happen? 

Her whole plan went out the window as soon as she realized that _Adrien_ was the one who sent the note and somehow knew who both she and Chat Noir really were. On top of that, he had told her that he loved her. 

Marinette thought back to their awkward conversation about his feelings for Ladybug the other day. 

_So that explains why he got so upset with me,_ she thought. _He thinks I don't feel the same way about him._

How could she possibly confront him about finding out with that knowledge hanging between them? 

Adrien looked up from the folded note in his hands. He spotted Marinette, who was still staring, and waved at her, smiling awkwardly. 

Well, there was no getting out of this now. 

Choking down her fear and pushing her emotions aside, Marinette walked over to him and sat on the other end of the bench, not making eye contact with him. 

They both watched for a moment as Alix and Kim lifted heavy boulders over their heads as the rest of the class cheered. 

“Fun competition, right?” Adrien asked, trying and failing to sound light-hearted. 

“I know,” Marinette blurted out, avoiding pleasantries. 

“What?” Adrien asked, confused. 

Heaving a heavy sigh, Marinette lowered her voice and said, “I know what's on that paper. And I thought you should know that I know.” 

“Oh.” 

Silence. 

“So... it's you?” Adrien whispered. His voice turned up at the end like it was a question, and Marinette didn't know why. 

“Yeah.”

“Have you told anyone?” he asked. 

“Who would I tell?” Marinette asked rhetorically.

“I don't know, Alya?” Adrien's fingertips glided over the paper in his hands, reinforcing its folds. 

Marinette snorted. “I'd never be that stupid. She's my best friend, but I can't trust her.” 

“That means a lot.” 

_What?_

Taking a deep breath, Marinette said, “so I think it would be best if this stayed between us.” 

Adrien glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “I agree, obviously.” 

For the first time in days, Marinette relaxed a little. The next questions would be tougher. How did he find out her identity? Did he mean it when he said he was in love with her? What did that mean for them now? 

Adrien chuckled, startling Marinette. _How could he laugh at a time like this?_

He turned his head and looked at Marinette sweetly, blushing faintly. “So I guess you understand why I said I'm in love with Ladybug now.” 

Marinette's heart raced. She smiled, her eyes growing wide and hopeful. “Yeah,” she nodded eagerly, “I understand.” 

“Well, thanks so much for understanding, Marinette. And for keeping this between us,” Adrien said awkwardly. 

A little disappointed and feeling pretty awkward herself, Marinette stood up to leave. “It's what's best for Paris,” she said simply. 

“I'm very grateful for you. This turned out better than I could have expected.” Adrien looked up at her, blushing. 

“You're welcome,” Marinette replied, unsure of what to say. In truth, she agreed. Maybe it would take a little time for Adrien to see Ladybug in her, or maybe he already saw it. But why wasn't he saying anything when he'd already confessed his feelings to her? 

Marinette turned to walk away, but Adrien grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. 

“Wait,” he said, desperation in his voice. “Ladybug...?” 

Shaking her head, Marinette retracted her wrist. How could he call her Ladybug out here in the open where anyone could hear? “Don't,” was all she could think to say before leaving the park. 

* * * 

“Chat Noir, I've been meaning to talk to you.” 

Ladybug caught Chat by the elbow before he could run off. They had both used their powers in that night's attack and had only minutes to speak. She had to tell him now, it couldn't wait another moment. They stood on an abandoned street, lit only by streetlamps on this moonless night. It was now or never. 

“Ladybug, I have to go,” Chat said as his ring lost a second pad. “I can't reveal my identity.” 

“That's exactly what this is about,” Ladybug said gravely. 

Chat paused. “Did something happen?” 

Putting one hand on each of Chat's shoulders, Ladybug let out a long breath. 

“Someone knows who we are, Chat,” she said, getting right to the point. “Don't worry, I know who it is and this person... well, we can trust them. I've known for a while, but I wanted to find out who they are and if they know about you before worrying you. I just wanted to let you know.” 

“I know,” Chat said. 

“You do?” Ladybug was surprised. She just saw Adrien with the note for Chat Noir that afternoon. Did he receive it and find out that Adrien sent the note that quickly? Or did Adrien decide to tell Chat upfront? Did he and Adrien know each other? No, she couldn't ask that. 

Chat nodded. “Yeah, and I agree. We have nothing to be afraid of.” 

Ladybug nodded gratefully and let go of his shoulders. She detached her yo-yo from her hip and prepared to throw it. 

“Wait,” Chat caught her yo-yo in midair and handed it back to her. “You don't have to run off.” 

Ladybug swept her hair aside and showed her earring, which was down to one dot. “Yes I do.” 

“Why?” Chat asked. “Someone knows our identities and nothing bad has happened. Why don't we finally just tell each other?” 

“It doesn't work that way, Chat Noir. I intend to stop the reveals here,” Ladybug said coldly. She swung off into the night before he could say anything more. 

* * * 

The following day, Saturday, Marinette finally got to sleep in. 

_At least I won't have to face Adrien until Monday,_ she thought as she remembered the previous day, for once grateful to _not_ see Adrien. 

Her phone buzzed and she reached over to her nightstand to grab it. 

_One New Message_

Marinette unlocked her phone and opened the message. It was from Adrien. 

_Marinette, go to your balcony._

Marinette scrolled on her phone, but that was all the message said. 

Shrugging to herself, Marinette dressed quickly and climbed to her balcony. 

Why would Adrien want her up there? Maybe he was standing below ready to read her a love poem, or was holding a boombox over his head playing a love song, or maybe he'd hired a skywriter to profess his undying love for her! 

_Calm down, Marinette, you're getting ahead of yourself._

She opened the latch and stepped out onto the rooftop balcony. She heard no music or poems and saw no words in the sky. 

“Hey.” Adrien sat on the far ledge of her balcony. 

“Adrien? How did you get up here?” Marinette asked, not moving any closer. 

Adrien waved the back of his right hand at her like it was somehow obvious how he'd gotten up there. Her eyebrows knitted together. 

Taking a deep breath, Adrien looked at Marinette dead in the eyes. “Look, I know you promised me to keep this secret and I don't doubt you meant it. But Marinette, I _need_ you to tell me who Ladybug really is. _Please,_ it's for the best.” 

_Wait, WHAT!?_


	5. The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Sorry I took so long to update. I've been busy with school and work, plus I was accepted to go on the Disney College Program! I wanted to give this story the ending it deserves, so I hope you won't mind that I took some extra time. Anyway, this chapter picks up right where the last one left off so if you need a refresher just go back a couple paragraphs. Thanks for reading!

Marinette stared at Adrien, dumbfounded. 

“I'm... what-- what are you talking about?” she stuttered, closing the windowed door on the roof but still keeping her distance. 

“Please, Marinette,” Adrien begged, “I know you must have made her the same promise you made me. I'm glad you care about keeping her safe, but surely you can make an exception for me?” 

Brows furrowed, Marinette took a timid step forward. “What are you talking about?” she repeated, more forcefully this time. 

“I know you know Ladybug's true identity,” Adrien sounded slightly accusatory. “She told me yesterday.” 

Marinette shook her head at him, suddenly feeling dizzy. 

“I didn't...” she stopped. She shut her mouth and looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue. 

Sighing, Adrien stepped down from the ledge and moved toward her. He gripped her shoulders and let out a shaky breath. “I talked to Ladybug yesterday,” he whispered, “she told me that you know about the two of us.” 

“No, that didn't happen,” Marinette wriggled out of Adrien's grasp and walked over to the railing, looking out over the city. This brought forth so many questions and though she didn't want to think about a single one of them, she couldn't help it: 

If Adrien didn't know she was Ladybug, the person who sent her the note was still out there. But if Adrien didn't know she was Ladybug, what did he think they were talking about yesterday? And what was he doing with the other note? And why was he lying about talking to Ladybug yesterday? And what did he mean by 'the two of us'? 

She turned to look at him, her eyes widening as everything clicked into place. “You're Chat Noir,” she whispered in disbelief. 

“Um, yeah?” Adrien said like it somehow should have been obvious but that couldn't be further from the truth. 

Marinette's head reeled as she tried to grapple with the truth that her sweet Adrien was also her cavalier partner, Chat Noir. She thought about every moment that had passed between her and Chat Noir since they'd met. Every playful remark, every flirtatious comment, every stupid pun, every time they'd been tied up together or thrown and landed on top of one another, and so on, trying to wrap her head around the fact that it had been him the whole time. 

“Oh my god, I kissed you,” she mumbled as the memory of Valentine's Day flooded back to her, trying to force the memory of Chat's kiss – _Adrien's_ kiss – from her mind like she had a thousand times before. She lost her balance as she backed into the railing, but Adrien was at her side in the blink of an eye to catch her by the hand. 

“Wait, what?” his eyes widened and he tilted his head to the side. He righted her and let go quickly. “When did you kiss me?” 

Marinette's face grew hot and she turned away again, avoiding his puzzled gaze. 

Tense silence hung in the air for several moments until Marinette felt the weight of Adrien's hand on her shoulder. She didn't turn around. 

“Look, I understand how it may seem... ridiculous to you that I am in love with a girl when I don't know her true identity.” Adrien spoke softly and gently, his words weighing heavily on Marinette's heart. “But Ladybug and I share a connection that is so much stronger than anything I ever thought I'd have the privilege of experiencing. The best thing about being Chat Noir is getting to see her every day. 

“And I know how it may seem like my love can't be real because we don't know each other, but can you really say that's true? We're a team. We trust and care for each other. I know she'll always be there to look out for me, and I know she knows I'll always be there for her. Ladybug and I are _one._ We don't need to take off our masks for me to know that she is the love of my life.” 

Adrien's hand dropped from Marinette's shoulder. He moved so that he was standing beside her, also leaning on the railing, looking out over the city. Silence stretched on as he waited for Marinette to respond, but she didn't know how. She knew Adrien had a crush on Ladybug, but she had no idea that _Chat Noir_ did. The idea that all the flirting was genuine was a lot to take in. 

“If you,” Marinette choked on her words. She cleared her throat and started again. “If you have so much trust between you, why did you go behind Ladybug's back and come to me, asking for her identity?” 

Adrien let out a long breath. “I've been wanting to tell Ladybug how I feel for a long time. I was going to tell her on Valentine's Day, but we ended up fighting an akuma and...” he paused, looking confused, “I'm not actually sure what happened after that. But every time since then I've just lost my nerve. Maybe I'm crazy, but I think knowing each other in real life will make it easier for me to finally tell her how I feel.” 

Marinette studied him for a long moment out of the corner of her eyes, lingering on the hopeful expression on his face as he looked out at the horizon, no doubt imagining some perfect Ladybug that didn't exist. “What if knowing who she really is changes the way you feel?” the question came out hoarsely and she turned her head away again, avoiding eye contact. 

“That's impossible,” Adrien's smile was as bright as the sun overhead. Marinette doubted his confidence. 

“So you'll be happy with just anyone?”

“That's not what I said,” Adrien said defensively. 

“How isn't it?” 

“Ladybug's not _just anyone._ Nobody could fake being that strong and kind-hearted. And I know what you're thinking,” he smirked at her, uncomfortably Chatlike, “you're thinking that I'm putting her up on a pedestal. That isn't true. I know she has flaws; she's stubborn and reckless, sometimes more so than me. She can be jealous and overzealous and overconfident. Sometimes she's a little hard to keep up with. But I accept that as a part of who she is and I love her all the more for it. Even if I don't know it yet, she's not just anyone. She's... miraculous.” 

“She's just a girl,” Marinette whispered, a pained look in her eyes. How could she live up to this perfect image of herself that she had unwittingly created in Adrien's head? 

Adrien shrugged. “And I'm just a guy. I'm sure Ladybug can see that better than anyone else, beyond all my fame and fortune.” He finished his sentence with a playful flick of his hair, and Marinette couldn't help but giggle at the glimmer of Chat Noir in him. 

“Silly kitty,” she muttered. 

“What was that?” 

_Shit._

“Nothing,” Marinette insisted shyly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. 

Before she could do anything, Adrien's eyes darted to her ear, and then to her face. To her ear again, and then back to her face. He lifted a shaking hand and reached up to her earlobe. Marinette shivered at his touch. 

“You know, I never see you without these,” Adrien said softly, running a thumb over her plain black earring. 

“So?” Marinette asked, trying to sound casual, “a lot of people don't change their earrings very often.” 

Adrien nodded, seeming to accept her story. Not removing his hand, he stepped closer so that he was looking down at her. The proximity nearly took Marinette's breath away. “You don't have to tell me who Ladybug is,” he told her. Marinette had to stop herself from sighing with relief. “But can you tell me if she feels the same way about me?” 

Marinette nodded, a single tear falling from her eye as she murmured, “she does.” 

Adrien took her hand in his and gently pressed his lips to her knuckles. “I'm glad to hear that, My Lady.” 

Marinette never thought she'd smile when someone figured out her identity, especially not Chat Noir, but she beamed up at Adrien as he pulled her into his arms, savoring the first truly genuine hug they'd ever share. No masks, no secrets, no lies. 

“Did you mean all those things you said about me?” Marinette asked, pulling away so that she could see Adrien's eyes when he answered. 

“Every word,” he said as he cupped her face in his hand, running his thumb along her cheek. 

Her eyes flickered away from his. “Do you still?” 

Adrien's face blushed a brilliant pink. He nodded. 

They stared into each others' eyes, not entirely sure where to go from here. 

“So um...” Adrien scratched the back of his head with his free hand after a short pause. “When did you kiss me, exactly?” 

Marinette tilted her head to the side. “You're not serious. You really don't remember?” 

Adrien blushed, eyes glistening as he looked at Marinette's face, lingering just a second too long on her lips. 

Picking up his cue, Marinette stood up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. It was exciting and new and yet somehow familiar, so much so that she couldn't deny that this was definitely Chat Noir. Adrien wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. 

“Um, this is nice and all, but we've still got some things to figure out.” 

Reluctantly, Adrien and Marinette pulled apart and looked down at the source of the voice.

“Oh, this must be your kwami?” Marinette asked, observing the small creature that floated before them. He was about the same size as Tikki but he was all black with green eyes and gigantic, pointed ears. “He's so cute.” 

Adrien scratched the back of his head, irritated and embarrassed at his kwami's interruption. “Marinette, this is Plagg. Don't feed his ego. Plagg--”

“I know who she is,” Plagg interrupted. “Where's Tikki?” 

“Oh, right!” Marinette opened the bag that always hung at her hip. Not waiting for an invitation, Tikki flew out of it immediately and right up to Plagg. 

“Plagg!” she exclaimed, pulling him into a long hug. 

“Women,” he droned, casting a meaningful glance at Adrien. 

“Hey!” Tikki squeaked, hugging him tighter. 

“It's been so long,” Plagg breathed, finally relenting and hugging her back. 

Tikki pulled away. “We can catch up later,” she said reluctantly. “We've got work to do.” 

Plagg nodded, then turned to Adrien. “Look kid, this whole thing,” he paused, gesturing lazily to Adrien and Marinette, “is nice and all. But we're not done here.” 

“What?” Adrien asked, scruffing up his hair with his fingertips. “We figured it out. I'm Chat Noir, Marinette's Ladybug. You should know that, you were both here. I'm Adrien, by the way,” he said, smiling politely in Tikki's direction. 

“Oh I know,” Tikki replied. Marinette blushed. 

“Tikki and Plagg are right,” Marinette said gently to Adrien. “We still need to figure out who sent us those notes.” 

Adrien's eyes went wide. Somewhere in the excitement he must have forgotten what got them into this mess in the first place. “Right,” he said, pounding a fist into the palm of his other hand, “what do we do?” 

* * * 

Marinette stood on her toes, nervously fidgeting with her hands as she waited out in front of the school, much earlier than she would normally be there. 

“Good morning, m'lady,” Adrien greeted cheerfully as he exited his car and walked up to her. He looked much happier than she had ever seen him, which, she realized gleefully, probably had to do with her. Marinette smiled at the way he spoke with Chat's confidence and moved with Adrien's expressions and body language. She was surprised at how quickly she was getting used to this strange fusion of her partner and crush. 

“You can't call me that here,” Marinette whispered. “Look, I haven't told Alya about us. Not that there's an _us_ or anything, unless you want there to be. _Do_ you want there to be? No pressure or anything. Actually, don't answer that. Unless you want to. Unless it'll make things weird. What am I saying, it'll definitely make things weird. Forget I said anything.” 

When she finished rambling, Marinette blinked up at Adrien, who was smiling fondly at her. 

Taking her hand, he said, “don't worry. On Saturday I came over, asked you out, and you accepted. We had a great day, and you completely blew me away with your passion, talent, and charm. That part is true, by the way. And now we're together. If Alya and Nino could happen so suddenly, why can't we?” 

Marinette squeezed his hand. “I knew I could always rely on you, _chaton._ ” 

“Now you're doing it!” Adrien laughed. 

Marinette smirked. “Well, _chaton_ is preferable to--” 

_“Adrikins!”_

“That,” Marinette grumbled, grimacing as Chloe ran to Adrien and hugged him, kissing him on both cheeks. Adrien dropped Marinette's hand upon impact. 

“Hey Clo,” Adrien said awkwardly, gently pushing her off of him. 

“Adrikins, it was so _amazing_ hanging out with you and Ladybug the other night!” Chloe exclaimed. “The three of us just _have_ to get together again soon. Although, we wouldn't want to make Ladybug feel like a third wheel again.” 

Marinette snorted. 

Chloe looked at her, realizing just then that Marinette was present. “Ugh, what is _she_ doing here?” 

Adrien scratched the back of his head self-consciously. “We were just talking,” he said. “Chloe, I don't think Ladybug wants to hang out with you.” 

Chloe and Marinette both gaped at him. 

“Um, _Adrien,_ ” Chloe sing-songed in an irritated tone, “If you remember, she just came over a couple nights ago. Clearly she _does_ want to hang out with me.” 

“And how long did she spend with you? Ten minutes? Five? Even that?” Adrien paused, taking a breath. “Maybe if you were nicer to people she'd want to stick around longer. Now if you don't mind, I was talking to Marinette.” 

“How _dare_ you!” Chloe huffed, stomping off into the school. 

Once Chloe was inside the building, Adrien took Marinette's hand again. “You were right, by the way.” 

She looked at him curiously. 

“The other night,” he clarified. “I didn't know what your relationship with Chloe was like. I made an assumption; I didn't think you knew her or how awful she could be. I was just so happy to see her be nice to someone for once, and I wanted her to see that it's worthwhile to be kind. But I had no right to expect you to be friends with her, now that I know it's you. I'm sorry.” 

“It's okay, you didn't know,” Marinette shrugged off his apology, though she was grateful for it. “Were you also at Chloe's to see if she knew who you were?” 

Adrien's expression darkened as he pulled Marinette far away from where the other students were beginning to congregate. “Of course,” he whispered, “but clearly she didn't know it was me since she still dislikes Chat Noir. I thought Nino might know something since he's my best friend and he's dating Alya, but he doesn't. And Alya – well, you know how that went.” 

Marinette nodded. “Thankfully, she doesn't know a thing. She does have her suspicions, including a bad photoshop of you as Chat Noir and hinting at me being Ladybug more than once, but she doesn't know anything for sure,” she added quickly when she saw Adrien's eyes widen. “She's a journalist, she's not ever going to post a baseless accusation. We just have to avoid ever giving her proof.” 

“Was Alya the only person you talked to besides Chloe?” 

“She and Chloe were my main suspects, but no,” Marinette replied, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “I also thought of Lila, but the fact that she's still talking to me proves that she doesn't know I'm Ladybug. I did also talk to Mylene, but that went nowhere.” 

Adrien tilted his head to the side. “Mylene? Why?”

Marinette bit her lip. “Well, I saw her using a notebook that has the same paper our notes were written on, but she told me her notebook was stolen the night before. I'm certain that whoever took her notebook is the one who wrote us those notes, which is why I assumed it's someone in class. After I figured out that it's not Lila, Alya, or Chloe, I got completely lost.” 

“And that's when you and Alya decided to just ask everyone?” Adrien asked. 

Looking surprised, Marinette asked, “you knew about that?” 

Adrien nodded. “Alya's... not subtle.” 

Marinette shrugged. “She didn't know I needed her to be.”

“Did that get you any new leads?” Adrien asked. 

“No,” Marinette shook her head. “I didn't even talk to anyone between coming up with that plan and seeing you with your note. Alya's talked to a few, but I'm hoping the person who wrote it really will keep our secrets, even with Alya pressuring them to tell.” 

Eyebrows furrowing with worry, Adrien said, “we should probably go talk to Mylene again.” 

“Why?” Marinette asked. “She doesn't know anything.” 

“Right now she's our best lead,” Adrien explained. “Besides, she may have figured out who took her notebook since you last spoke to her.” 

Nodding in agreement, Marinette lifted her head and scanned the crowd of students for Mylene. “I don't see her. Maybe she went inside?” 

“Let's go see,” Adrien replied. Hand-in-hand, the two walked into the school courtyard. A few small groups of students were scattered throughout the courtyard, talking idly. Alya and Nino were there, as were Chloe and Sabrina. Mylene and Ivan sat on the steps. Adrien let go of Marinette's hand and walked toward them. 

“Mylene, we need to talk to you,” Adrien said, quite matter-of-factly. “Ivan, do you mind giving us a moment?” 

Ivan paused, and put a finger up in the air. “Um...” 

“Anything you say to me can be said in front of Ivan,” Mylene said curtly. 

Adrien rubbed his neck. “I'm sorry Mylene, but we really need to talk to you privately.” 

Mylene didn't look happy. “Hey, Ivan has just as much--” 

“It's alright Mylene,” Ivan said quietly, “I'll wait in the classroom.” He got up to leave and paused beside Marinette. “Congratulations, you two.” 

Marinette's curious eyes followed as he ascended the steps to the classroom. She looked over at Adrien and noticed that they weren't holding hands or acting like a couple in any way. _How did he know?_

Marinette recognized the sharp look in Adrien's eyes as he glanced around for eavesdroppers. “Mylene, Marinette tells me your notebook got stolen. Do you have any idea who took it?” 

“You sent Ivan away for that?” 

“We really need you to tell us anything you know,” Marinette spoke up for the first time. 

“I told you everything, Marinette. It got stolen, I found it on my desk the next morning when I got to class. Nothing is missing as far as I can tell. Why does it matter?” 

“Was anyone in the classroom on the morning when you found your notebook?” Marinette asked.

“What is this about?” 

“My notebook got stolen too,” Adrien lied. “I was wondering if you might know who took it.” 

Mylene considered him for a moment, then slumped in her seat on the stairs. “I can't help you,” she insisted, shaking her head. 

“Do you remember who was in the classroom that morning?” Adrien asked, a little more forcefully than before.

“Yes,” Mylene said simply. “But I can't tell you.” 

“Why? All I want is my notebook back. I'm not going to do anything to the person who took it,” he said. He was standing too close to Mylene now, looking a little menacing as he hovered over her. 

It didn't occur to Marinette until this moment how desperate he was to find out who sent him that note. It also explained why he'd seemed angry with her, both Marinette and Ladybug, over the past few days. The stress was clearly getting to him. 

Marinette put her hand on his chest and lightly pushed him away from Mylene. Mylene turned and ran up the steps without another word. 

“Chat,” she whispered without thinking. “Sorry. Adrien.” 

“No, I'm sorry,” Adrien sighed. “I scared her, didn't I?” 

“You know Mylene scares easily,” Marinette said, sounding disappointed. 

Adrien nodded. “I know, remember the day she got akumatized?” 

“When we got trapped in the school and the entire class kept getting in the way of us doing our jobs?” Marinette laughed. 

“I left a shoe in the classroom as evidence that I had been taken by the monster,” Adrien chuckled.

“How didn't I catch that?” Marinette smacked her forehead. “How many times have we been trapped in a building together and didn't even question how?” 

Adrien wiped a happy tear from his eye and wrapped an arm around Marinette's shoulders. “I have no idea. It's so obvious now.” 

“You know, this probably couldn't have turned out better,” Marinette said as she took Adrien by the hand, leading him up the stairs. “We can cover for each other now.” 

“Not to mention this added bonus,” Adrien kissed the back of her hand. “Who knew that I could have won your heart by-- wait, where are we going?” He looked around, just realizing they were halfway upstairs. 

“Now that you're calm, we're going to apologize to Mylene,” Marinette replied, a smug smile forming on her lips. 

“You are very sly, milady,” Adrien commended as they continued toward the classroom. “Are you sure you shouldn't have the fox Miraculous?” 

“Are you sure you want to go there?” 

Adrien smiled an all-too-familiar Cheshire smile and Marinette rolled her eyes. 

They stopped in front of the classroom door. Letting go of Marinette's hand, Adrien opened the door and they stepped inside. Mdme. Bustier wasn't in the classroom yet. The only two people in the classroom were Mylene and Ivan, who were speaking in hushed tones at Mylene's desk despite being the only ones in the room. They turned to look at the door when it opened. 

Adrien took a shaky breath and walked over to them. “Mylene, I'm sorry I scared you. I hope you can forgive me.” 

The hostile look on Mylene's face evaporated immediately at Adrien's apology. “I understand, I was upset when my notebook was stolen too. I know you're under a lot of pressure to do well. It's okay.” 

“It's not, I—” 

“But Ivan doesn't have your notebook.” 

Adrien and Marinette turned to look at each other before turning back to Mylene and Ivan. “Sorry, what?” Marinette asked. 

“I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid of what you'd do, but Ivan was the only person in the classroom when I found my notebook on my desk that morning. I didn't want you to accuse him when you were acting so...” 

Ivan tapped Mylene on the shoulder and cupped a hand to her ear. He whispered something into it. 

“Okay, if you're sure,” Mylene said. 

“It's fine,” Ivan said. 

“I'll wait outside,” Mylene said, then left the classroom without acknowledging Marinette or Adrien. 

Marinette and Adrien gave each other a questioning look. They both shrugged, and looked back at Ivan. He sat quietly until the door clicked shut. 

Once they were alone, Ivan reached into his pocket. He pulled out a piece of red paper, folded into the shape of a star, and wordlessly handed it to Marinette and Adrien. 

Shocked, Marinette took the paper and fumbled with it until she got it open. 

The note, written not in the same neat penmanship but in Ivan's more natural handwriting, read as follows: 

_Ladybug and Chat Noir,_  
I'm sorry, I should have told you who I was.  
– Ivan 

After reading the note, they both looked up at Ivan expectantly. 

“When I told you I wasn't good with words, you said there might be another way to say what I needed to say,” Ivan shrugged awkwardly. 

“How long have you known?” Marinette asked. 

“Since the beginning,” Ivan said hesitantly, not making eye contact. “You knew I was writing Mylene a song, and Ladybug knew I wrote her a song. Ladybug knew my name and you tried to stop me from feeling 'negative emotions' before anyone knew that's what causes akumas.” 

Adrien elbowed Marinette gently in the ribs. “He got you.” 

“And what about Chat Noir?” Marinette asked, blushing bright pink. “When did you find out about Adrien?” 

“Not much later,” Ivan said. Marinette smiled smugly at Adrien. “You always leave at the same time as Marinette and are never around during akuma attacks.” 

“So if you've known so long, why did you wait almost a year to tell us?” Adrien asked. 

“I didn't know how,” Ivan hunched his shoulders in a failed attempt to look smaller. “You were new and I thought that if I told you I found out, you'd think...” he paused, glancing away. 

“That every akuma victim would know?” Marinette finished his thought. 

Ivan nodded solemnly. 

“Does anyone else know?” Adrien asked the question that was weighing on both their minds. 

Ivan shook his head. 

Marinette glanced at the door, where Mylene was undoubtedly waiting outside. “Even Mylene?” 

“No,” Ivan said. “I've kept my promise. She won't know.” 

“Thank you, Ivan,” Marinette said, her voice filled with relief. Adrien nodded in agreement. 

“And thank you,” Ivan said. 

“What for?” 

Ivan blushed. “If it weren't for you, Mylene and I wouldn't be together.” Tentatively, he stuck a hand out to Marinette. “I wanted to finally thank you in person.” 

Marinette ignored his hand and pulled him into a hug. “You're welcome, Ivan.” 

The sound of the school bell was followed shortly by Mylene's re-entrance to the classroom. “Are you done?” She asked. 

Marinette, Adrien, and Ivan nodded and took their seats as the class filed into the room. 

“Hey girl, what's up?” Alya asked as she took her seat beside Marinette. 

“Nothing,” Marinette shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. 

“Don't give me that, I saw you,” Alya accused her. 

“Wha – I didn't – I wasn't – I don't know what you think you saw but –“ 

“Don't lie to me,” Alya said sternly. 

Marinette gulped. 

“I saw you flirting with Adrien in the courtyard this morning. When did _that_ happen?” 

“Saturday,” Marinette held in a sigh of relief. “He came over and asked me out.” 

“You _know_ you have to give me the scoop after class.” 

Marinette smiled. “When have I ever kept anything from my best friend?” 

Mdme. Bustier cleared her throat, and the class shifted to attention. 

“Now class, I hope you all did your reading over the weekend because--” 

Their teacher was cut off by a shrill scream coming from outside. 

Adrien glanced back at Marinette. 

Marinette winked. 

“Can I use the bathroom?” Adrien jumped out of his seat, already headed for the door. 

“Me too, please,” Marinette followed right behind. 

They left the classroom and the door shut behind them. 

“You ready for this, my lady?” Adrien asked as they sprinted down the hall together. 

“Always am, _chaton,_ ” Marinette replied as she grabbed his arm and pulled him around the corner into a secluded corridor. 

“Tikki--” Marinette shouted. 

“Plagg--” Adrien echoed. 

“Transform me!”


End file.
